To Change or Not to Change? by Alicia Briscoe

 Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda^[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” John 5:1-7

This story is a notable example of making the choice to change or not. Although it is referring to healing, the principle is still the same, a change needs to take place. But the choice lies with the individual alone. This pool of water was known to heal people when it stirred. This man not only needed physical healing, but he needed to see himself differently. In this case the man saw himself as a victim which led to him making an excuse for not getting in the pool. I can’t help but ponder why he was in this state for so long. Did he ask for assistance? Was he distracted? Was he fearful? Did he have knowledge or was he ignorant?

As humans, we really don’t like change. Like the man in this story, we remain in our comfort zone oppose to stepping out into the unfamiliar. Even though we complain about our circumstances and situations; we are more comfortable with the so call norm. We tend to avoid change at all costs because it requires us to shift, and pivot. Change is work, it will take effort on our part and can be uncomfortable at first. But positive change can be profitable to you and your situation. Notice I specified change as being positive. Yes, there is negative change as well. A passage of scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 15:33 that talks about bad company corrupts good people.

Change is inevitable, it is going to happen. Whether we are ready or not. Whether we like it or not. Change produces good and bad, favorable, or unfavorable things. The key is to learn how to navigate through change. Also, understanding that we make the choice regarding change in our lives and knowing we only have the authority to change ourselves not others. If we are honest, we all can change something about ourselves and our circumstances.

Remember: Change is not about our “can do” but our “want to”! What about you? Do you want to get well?